Anti-leak food box

ABSTRACT

The food box contains a box member and a cover member. The box member has a storage space with a top opening. At least a box flange extends from the top opening&#39;s circumference. An upward extending anti-leak wall surrounds the top opening. At least a first connection element is configured along the anti-leak wall. The cover member seals the top opening, and has at least a cover flange extending laterally from the cover member&#39;s circumference. An upward extending anti-leak ditch surrounds the circumference of the cover member compatible with the anti-leak wall. At least a second connection element is configured along the anti-leak ditch. 
     When the cover member seals the box member, the anti-leak wall is embedded into the anti-leak ditch so as to prevent a content of the food box from leaking.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention is generally related to containers for food, andmore particular to an anti-leak food box.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Observation shows that more and more people order take-outs and carry afood box packaging the take-outs back to where he/she works or lives.

An ordinary food box contains a box member, a pivoted openable coverjoined to a top edge of the box member. The box member and the coverusually have flanges and, after food is stored, rubber bands are used tobind the cover to the box member.

However, if the food box is rocked or shook, the stored food often spilloutside the box member.

Also the rubber bands can only provide limited bondage and the food mayleak out of the box from where the rubber band cannot provide tightsealing.

Of course if the box is not bound by enough rubber bands, the foodleakage problem is always inevitable. It should be obvious that the foodbox requires a better design to obviate the aforementioned shortcomings

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a major objective of the present invention is to provide anovel food box with enhanced anti-leaking capability by configuringinterlocking means on the food box.

To achieve the objective, the food box contains a box member and a covermember. The box member has a storage space with a top opening. At leasta box flange extends from the top opening's circumference. An upwardextending anti-leak wall surrounds the top opening. At least a firstconnection element is configured along the anti-leak wall and each firstconnection element has a first fastener. The cover member seals the topopening, and has at least a cover flange extending laterally from thecover member's circumference. An upward extending anti-leak ditchsurrounds the circumference of the cover member compatible with theanti-leak wall. At least a second connection element is configured alongthe anti-leak ditch and each second connection element has a secondfastener. When the cover member seals the box member, the anti-leak wallis embedded into the anti-leak ditch so as to prevent a content of thefood box from leaking.

The cover member and the box member are integrally formed.

The box member and the cover member have compatible geometric shapes.

The first fastener is configured in an upper section, a middle section,or a lower section on at least a laterally outward facing side of thefirst connection element.

The first fastener is an indentation.

The second fastener is configured in an upper section, a middle section,or a lower section on at least a laterally outward facing side of thesecond connection element.

The second fastener is an indentation.

The first and second connection elements have a block shape whosecircumferential wall has a 3-like sectional shape.

The anti-leak ditch has an inverted U-like sectional shape.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introductionto the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects ofthe present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detaileddescription of the invention and the claims should be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specificationand drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similarparts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will becomemanifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to thedetailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which apreferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of thepresent invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagram showing a food box according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram showing the food box of FIG. 1 with acover member of the food box opened.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the interaction between a firstconnection element and a second connection element of the food box ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram showing the food box of FIG. 1 when itscover member is opened.

FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram showing a food box according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective diagram showing a food box according to yetanother embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are notintended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of theinvention in any way. Rather, the following description provides aconvenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made inthe function and arrangement of the elements described without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a food box according to an embodiment of thepresent invention contains a box member 1 which has a storage space witha top opening. The box member 1 contains at least a box flange 11extending laterally outward from a section of the top opening'scircumference and an upward extending anti-leak wall 13 surrounding thetop opening. At least a first connection element 12 is configured alongthe anti-leak wall 13. Each first connection element 12 has a firstfastener 121. The food box further contains a cover member 2edge-to-edge joined to the box member 1 so as to seal the top opening.The cover member 2 contains at least a cover flange 21 extendinglaterally outward from a section of the cover member 2's circumferenceand an upward extending anti-leak ditch 23 surrounding the circumferenceof the cover member 2. At least a second connection element 22 isconfigured along the anti-leak ditch 23. Each second connection element22 has a second fastener 221. When the cover member 2 covers and sealsthe top opening of the box member 1, the anti-leak wall 13 is embeddedinto the anti-leak ditch 23, and each first connection element 12 isembedded into a corresponding second connection element 22 with theirfirst and second fasteners 121 and 221 tightly matched with each other.

In the present embodiment, the cover member 2 and the box member 1 areintegrally formed.

The first fastener 121 is configured in an upper section, a middlesection, or a lower section on at least a laterally outward facing sideof the first connection element 12.

Preferably, the first fastener 121 is an indentation.

The second fastener 221 is configured in an upper section, a middlesection, or a lower section on at least a laterally outward facing sideof the second connection element 22.

Preferably, the second fastener 221 is an indentation.

The first and second connection elements 12 and 22 have a block shapewhose circumferential wall has a 3-like sectional shape.

The anti-leak ditch 23 has an inverted U-like sectional shape.

In alternative embodiments, the box member 1 and the cover member 2 haveother compatible geometric shapes.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the cover member 2 seals the box member 1, theanti-leak wall 13 is embedded into the anti-leak ditch 23, and the firstand second connection elements 12 and 22 are joined together. The firstand second fasteners 121 and 221 are tightly fitted together so as tosecure the connection between the first and second connection elements12 and 22, which in turn locks the cover member 2 and the box member 1reliably together, thereby preventing the content in the food box fromsplitting or leaking.

As shown in FIG. 4, to open the cover member 2, the box and coverflanges 11 and 21 provide convenient handles. In other words, byexerting a downward force on the box flange 11 and an upward force onthe cover flange 21, the interlocking between the first and secondconnection elements 12 and 22 are disrupted, and the cover member 2 canbe easily opened.

As shown in FIG. 5, in another embodiment of the present invention, thecover member 2 and the box member 1 are separately formed. The otherdetails are identical to the previous embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in yet another embodiment of the present invention,the first and second fasteners 121 and 221 are not confined to the firstand second connection elements 12 and 22 only. In this embodiment, boththe anti-leak wall 13 and the anti-leak ditch 23 have the first andsecond fasteners 121 and 221 configured along their entirecircumferential sides, respectively.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intendedto be limited to the details above, since it will be understood thatvarious omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the formsand details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be madeby those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claimsof the present invention.

1. A food box, comprising: a box member having a storage space with atop opening, a box flange extending laterally outward from a section ofthe top opening's circumference, and an upward extending anti-leak wallsurrounding the top opening, where a plurality of first connectionelements are configured along and on the anti-leak wall, and each firstconnection element is located at a corner of the anti-leak wall; and acover member for sealing the top opening, the cover member having acover flange extending laterally outward from a section of the covermember's circumference, and an upward extending anti-leak ditchsurrounding the circumference of the cover member compatible with theanti-leak wall, where a plurality of second connection elements areconfigured along and on the anti-leak ditch, and each second connectionelement is located at a corner of the anti-leak ditch corresponding to afirst connection element; wherein the first and second connectionelements have compatible block shapes; a first fastener is configuredalong laterally outward facing sides of each first connection element; asecond fastener is configured along laterally outward facing sides ofeach second connection element; the first and second fasteners areindentations of compatible cross-sectional shapes substantially as thenumeral 3; the first and second fasteners are configured in an uppersection, a middle section, or a lower section of each first connectionelement and each second connection element, respectively. 2.-4.(canceled)
 5. The food box according to claim 1, wherein, when the covermember seals the box member, the anti-leak wall is embedded into theanti-leak ditch so as to prevent a content of the food box from leaking.6. The food box according to claim 5, wherein the anti-leak ditch has aninverted U-like sectional shape.
 7. The food box according to claim 1,wherein the box member and the cover member have compatible geometricshapes.
 8. The food box according to claim 1, wherein the first fasteneris further configured along outer circumferential side of the anti-leakwall; and the second fastener is further configured along outercircumferential side of the anti-leak ditch. 9.-15. (canceled)